Jake Chalklen — Jul 27, 2023

• Win or lose, you still appreciate your son's effort and are not disappointed in him. Be there person he can look up to.
• Try your best to be completely honest about your son’s athletic ability, his competitive attitude, his sportsmanship, and his actual skill level.
• Be helpful but don't constantly coach him.
• Teach him to enjoy the thrill of competition, to be “out there trying”, to be working to improve his skills and attitudes. Help him to develop the feel for competing, for trying hard, for having fun.
• Try not to re-live your sporting life in a way that creates pressure. We all lost as well as won. You weren't always perfect either.
• Don't undermine the coach. The are proper channel for any issues and concerns. Often coaches are doing what is best for the team.
• Get to know the coach so that you can be assured that his philosophy, attitudes, ethics and knowledge are such that you are happy to have your son under his care. 
• Don’t compare the skill, courage, or attitudes of your son with other members of his team, at least within his hearing.
• Always remember that children tend to exaggerate both when praised and when criticized. Temper your reaction and investigate before over-reacting. 
  
• Courage comes in different forms. Some people are scared of fights, some are scared of bees. Everyone is frightened at times. Explain that courage is not the absence of fear, but a means of doing something in spite of fear or discomfort.